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OBAMA TO CREATE TASK FORCE ON GUNS – Reid Epstein writes for the hometown paper: “President Barack Obama will on Wednesday announce the first step on gun control following the Newtown school shootings: an interagency task force, led by Vice President Joe Biden, charged with guiding the administration’s continuing response. The announcement will be the third time in five days Obama has addressed the massacre that killed 20 first graders and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. And it will follow a call on Friday for ‘meaningful action’ and his Sunday pledge to use the White House to ‘engage’ Americans to prevent mass shootings …

-- The president hasn’t spent much political capital trying to curb gun violence, “[b]ut the Connecticut killings seem to have struck a chord with Obama – he teared up while delivering a four-minute statement at the White House Friday and then Sunday pledged to help prevent more mass killings. And it has shifted at least three NRA-backed Democratic senators: Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.). Obama on Tuesday called Manchin, who in a 2010 campaign ad titled ‘Dead Aim’ touted his NRA endorsement before firing his rifle at a copy of proposed cap-and-trade legislation, to discuss how to proceed. Prior to their White House meeting Tuesday, the Brady delegation met at the Capitol with Democrats including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and, in what Gross said was a first for the group, representatives of House Republicans.” http://politi.co/UCPwC3

LIEBERMAN: DON’T LET THIS MOMENT PASS -- Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Connecticut independent who called for the creation of a national commission on gun violence, told Huddle: “It’s important not to let this moment of heartbreak, anger, guilt pass and let it be dissipated over time or because of legislative gridlock without us having a really serious national discussion about how to stop this from happening.” Would Lieberman, who retires from the Senate at the end of the month, serve on such a commission, especially since the shooting hits so close to home? “Oh, they can find better people than me,” he said.

BAUCUS BACKS COMMISSION IDEA – “Sen. Max Baucus, a Democrat from Montana, avid hunter-fisherman and darling of the National Rifle Association, on Tuesday said he would support the creation of a special commission to explore solutions and a legislative response to the mass shooting in Connecticut last week,” Roll Call’s Humberto Sanchez reports. ‘I think we have to investigate violence in our country,’ Baucus said. ‘It’s complicated. I think we should do it thoughtfully and meaningfully and get to the bottom of the issue as much as we can.’”

New York Times, A1, “Broad Gun Control Efforts Introduced in Wake of Shooting,” By Adam Nagourney. http://nyti.ms/VQQGt4

GOP BALKS AT ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN – Kate Nocera writes for POLITICO: “The tragic shooting in Newtown has reignited the debate over gun control, and gun rights supporters on the Hill have signaled a willingness to have that conversation. But — as with most things in the Senate — nothing will happen overnight. And for many lawmakers, opposition to a reinstatement of a federal assault weapons ban remains firm. … ‘That’s not going to answer the question. You’ve got to find out who has access to those guns, especially where people are irrational, deranged and so forth. How do you define assault weapon? It’s very difficult,’ said Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). ‘[An assault ban] won’t fix it. We’ve seen that movie before.’ … Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called the shooting tragic, but a ban on assault weapons ‘doesn’t make sense to me.’ ‘The worst thing we can do is create false sense of security. Every bad event in the world can’t be fixed by government action,’ he said. … Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) said Congress is ‘united in condemning the violence’ but stopped short of calling for any policy prescription to address gun violence.” http://politi.co/R4y6RbVideo of Shelby:http://politi.co/YkczHj

CERBERUS TO SELL MAKER OF GUN USED IN SCHOOL MASSACRE – Peter Lattman writes in the NYT: “Sitting in their offices high above Park Avenue late on Monday, the private equity executives who own the country's largest gun company received a phone call from one of their most influential investors. An official at the California teachers' pension fund, which has $750 million invested with the private equity firm, Cerberus Capital Management, was on the line, raising questions about the firm's ownership of the Freedom Group, the gun maker that made the rifle used in the Connecticut school shootings. Hours later, at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Cerberus said that it was putting the Freedom Group up for sale. … The move by Cerberus is a rare instance of a Wall Street firm bending to concerns about an investment's societal impact rather than a profit-at-all-costs ethos. …

-- “Cerberus, a private equity and hedge fund firm that manages more than $20 billion, is owned by the billionaire financier Stephen A. Feinberg. His father, Martin Feinberg, lives in Newtown, Conn., where the shootings occurred. … A major Republican donor, Mr. Feinberg has Dan Quayle, the former vice president, and John Snow, the former Treasury secretary, on Cerberus's payroll. Among the former military leaders on Freedom Group's board is George A. Joulwan, the onetime supreme allied commander of Europe.” http://nyti.ms/UDdyNb

PANEL FAULTS STATE DEPARTMENT IN LIBYA ATTACK – Both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have the story on A1 this morning. Eric Schmitt and Michael R. Gordon write for the Times: “An independent inquiry into the attack on the United States diplomatic mission in Libya that killed four Americans on Sept. 11 sharply criticized the State Department for a lack of seasoned security personnel and for relying on untested local militias to safeguard the compound, according to a report by the panel made public on Tuesday night. The investigation into the attack on the diplomatic mission and the C.I.A. annex in Benghazi that resulted in the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans also faulted State Department officials in Washington for ignoring requests from the American Embassy in Tripoli for more guards for the mission and for failing to make sufficient safety upgrades.” http://nyti.ms/TyiuDS

-- The WSJ:Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “said in a letter to Congress Tuesday that the State Department would increase funding for security in overseas missions, hire more diplomatic security, and create a new office focused on high-threat postings. ‘It is our responsibility to constantly improve, to reduce the risks our people face, and to make sure that they have the resources they need to do their jobs,’ Mrs. Clinton said.” http://on.wsj.com/T7u0Yi

HAGEL ENCOUNTERS GOP TURBULENCE – Manu Raju writes for POLITICO: “Sitting senators or former members who are nominated to Cabinet posts typically are given free passes when the clubby institution begins its confirmation process. That is, unless you’re Chuck Hagel. The former Nebraska Republican senator — who is expected to get President Barack Obama’s nod to become his next secretary of defense — is anything but a favorite among many of his former GOP colleagues on Capitol Hill. His onetime fellow Republican senators are quick to point out his role as a chief Bush antagonist over Iraq, his opposition to sanctions in places like Iran and comments he’s made about Hamas, Hezbollah and North Korea. Some privately note he rubbed them the wrong way; one GOP senator called him ‘prickly.’ Another was irked by the moderate Republican’s penchant for taking on his party, including this past election cycle, when he backed Democrat Bob Kerrey’s Senate candidacy in Nebraska over Deb Fischer, the Republican who later went on to win the race. Off of Capitol Hill on Tuesday, critics — including the Anti-Defamation League — slammed his record on Israel, including comments he made years back when he called pro-Israel forces in Washington the ‘Jewish lobby.’

-- “Hagel’s expected nomination was supposed to give the Obama Cabinet a boost of bipartisanship — adding a Republican and decorated war veteran with two Purple Hearts serving in Vietnam. … But after battling the Bush administration’s controversial foreign policy decisions — and straying even further from a party that has grown increasingly conservative in recent years — Republicans are signaling that Hagel’s ride to confirmation could be anything but smooth, even if he does end up with enough votes to head to the Cabinet.” http://politi.co/Ub4XnR

WAPO EDITORIAL BOARD: DON’T PICK HAGEL – “FORMER SENATOR Chuck Hagel, whom President Obama is reportedly considering for defense secretary, is a Republican who would offer a veneer of bipartisanship to the national security team. He would not, however, move it toward the center, which is the usual role of such opposite-party nominees. On the contrary: Mr. Hagel’s stated positions on critical issues, ranging from defense spending to Iran, fall well to the left of those pursued by Mr. Obama during his first term — and place him near the fringe of the Senate that would be asked to confirm him. … What’s certain is that Mr. Obama has available other possible nominees who are considerably closer to the mainstream and to the president’s first-term policies. Former undersecretary of defense Michèle Flournoy, for example, is a seasoned policymaker who understands how to manage the Pentagon bureaucracy and where responsible cuts can be made. She would bring welcome diversity as the nation’s first female defense secretary. Mr. Hagel is an honorable man who served the country with distinction as a soldier in Vietnam and who was respected by his fellow senators. But Mr. Obama could make a better choice for defense secretary.” http://wapo.st/SSdjCh

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 19, 2012, and welcome to the Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day’s congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include but are not limited to @marie_claudet and @GSoulMan.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. and will continue work on the defense appropriations bill. The House is in at 10 a.m. with votes on up to 23 bills to be determined.

AROUND THE HILL – Rep. Walter Jones speaks on authority to commit troops to Syria at 10 a.m. in Cannon 121. Sen. Barbara Boxer speaks on legislation to strengthen school security at 10 a.m. in the Senate gallery. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Reps. Diana DeGette and Carolyn McCarthy call for banning high capacity clips at 11 a.m. in HVC Studio A. Reps. Ed Markey and Joe Barton and Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Mark Pryor speak on the new Children's Online Privacy Protection Act rule at noon in Rayburn 253.

CAN ‘LINCOLN’ CAST INSPIRE CONGRESS? – Senators will be treated to a screening of DreamWorks Studio’ “Lincoln” today at the Capitol Visitors Center. Members of the film’s cast and crew will be on hand, including Director Steven Spielberg and actor Daniel Day-Lewis. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who will hold a photo opportunity with the cast at 4:45 p.m. at the Ohio Clock Tower, no doubt is hoping the movie brings Democrats and Republicans together during a crucial moment in the “fiscal cliff” talks. He and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell wrote in the invitation to senators and their spouses: “[The] film depicts the good which is attainable when public servants put the betterment of the country ahead of short-term political interests.”

FISCAL CLIFF COUNTDOWN: 13 DAYS

CLIFF TALKS TURN INTO POSTURING – Jake Sherman, John Bresnahan and Carrie Budoff Brown report for POLITICO: “House Speaker John Boehner’s decision to pursue a fiscal cliff backup plan looked like an attempt to go his own way. But it was really about bolstering his position in the one-on-one talks with President Barack Obama. Boehner is trying to strengthen his negotiating hand, give himself more legislative options, show his House Republican Conference that he is willing to play hardball and shift blame if they can’t come to an agreement. All of this is part of a highly choreographed Washington play, and in the current act, Obama and Boehner are trying to prove themselves as the more reasonable party with tax rates, spending cuts and unemployment benefits hanging in the balance. As negotiations behind closed doors slog on without any resolution in sight, both sides are orchestrating strategic leaks to the press and dashing to the House and Senate floor to try to show their colleagues — and the nation — that they’re the ones that should be taken seriously.

-- “House Republicans will go first. On Thursday, they will bring up the Senate Democrats’ tax bill, which extends income rates for only the middle class. That Democratic bill will fail to win a majority, and House Republicans will then try to pass their own legislation extending current tax rates for all income under $1 million. Yet it’s unclear if that bill — Boehner has dubbed it ‘Plan B’ when he announced the proposal on Tuesday — has the votes to pass. House Democrats might provide a few votes, sources said. House Republicans know that even if the bill passes the lower chamber, it is unlikely to become law.” http://politi.co/UbfpMm

-- No fan of Boehner, RedState’s Erick Erickson calls the speaker’s Plan B “Bull----“: “Boehner wants to establish that the GOP will support tax hikes and decoupling, then he will come back and negotiate the actual deal. When we protest that it’s a tax hike, he will point to this vote and say, ‘Excuse me?’ Most pathetically, too many conservatives in the House of Representatives are signaling exactly just what sort of women they are. I can only guess that the ‘B’ in John Boehner’s plan be stands for bovine excrement. He should be ashamed at the lack of seriousness of his plan. Conservatives in Congress should back away from it.” http://bit.ly/SS9SeQ

DEMS UPSET BY CPI OFFER – POLITICO’s Steven Sloan and Seung Min Kim report: “President Barack Obama’s latest offer to congressional Republicans crosses lines that Democrats have long portrayed as untouchable. The provision causing the most heartburn for Democrats on Capitol Hill is one that would change the way inflation is measured to ultimately reduce payments to Social Security beneficiaries. Obama floated the so-called chained consumer price index idea to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) last year during their failed negotiations over raising the debt ceiling. But by including it in his fiscal cliff offer, Obama is guaranteeing that if and when a deal comes together, it’s almost certain to include the provision. It would force Democrats — who have spent decades building their brand as the protectors of Social Security and entitlement programs — into a difficult vote. And their support for a fiscal cliff package will be crucial to offset Republicans who might oppose any deal that raises tax rates, an area where Boehner has moved closer to Obama in recent days.” http://politi.co/XHq13h

CAPITOL POWER PLANT STILL USING COAL – Emma Dumain writes for Roll Call: “In 2009, after outcry from activists and neighbors and following instructions from congressional leadership, the Architect of the Capitol pledged to stop burning coal at the Capitol Power Plant unless absolutely necessary. Three years later, the same activists and neighbors want to ban the plant from using coal at all. They took their concerns to a public hearing Monday night convened by the District Department of the Environment, where more than 20 speakers accused the plant of having a cavalier attitude toward residents and their health. The critics are using as leverage the AOC’s pursuit of new permits to proceed with ‘cogeneration,’ a process that will use a natural gas-powered turbine to produce the energy needed to run the plant itself; the steam will help heat the Capitol complex. But the AOC contends that the new process will allow the plant to be weaned off coal in the near future. …On Capitol Hill, Ana Unruh-Cohen, deputy staff director for House Natural Resources ranking member Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., has also expressed interest in the issue: She has spoken with both the AOC and the Sierra Club’s D.C. chapters, and encouraged a meeting between all concerned parties.” http://bit.ly/V6iY1OEarlier on E&E Publishing:http://bit.ly/12oZblsWashington Times:http://bit.ly/V6jOM3

INOUYE TO LIE IN STATE IN ROTUNDA – Scott Wong reports: “Sen. Daniel Inouye's body will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, two sources told POLITICO, a rare honor usually reserved for presidents and other historical figures. Inouye, a Hawaii Democrat, died Monday at age 88 from respiratory complications. The World War II hero represented the Aloha State in Congress since it achieved statehood in 1959, and upon his death he was the second longest-serving senator in history and the chamber’s president pro tempore. His casket will arrive at 10 a.m. Thursday, with a public visitation held from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Inouye's office confirmed. Inouye will then be flown to Honolulu, where a final memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.” http://politi.co/ZiusIb

CONFEREES FINISH DEFENSE BILL IN FACE OF VETO THREAT – Austin Wright writes for POLITICO: “House and Senate negotiators on Tuesday agreed to a final version of the defense authorization bill, keeping in place several provisions President Barack Obama had objected to when he threatened to veto earlier versions of the legislation. For one, the compromise bill would end funding for the Medium Extended Air Defense System, or MEADS, a $3.4 billion missile defense system produced in part by Lockheed Martin. Obama had urged Congress to restore funding for the system, which is being developed in a partnership with Germany and Italy and is viewed as a symbol of transatlantic cooperation. But members of Congress, frustrated by the system’s cost overruns and delays, called the president’s bluff — putting forward an authorization bill that ignores several of his key demands with just two weeks until the 112th Congress adjourns. Obama will have little choice but to sign the bill, as the Pentagon would face major hardships without the measure, which allows the military to continue paying many of its bills.” http://politi.co/Ub2r11

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